Professional Yacht Delivery Throughout Florida
Atlantic Yacht Delivery provides professional yacht and powerboat delivery throughout Florida, including Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Biscayne Bay and the Florida Keys, as well as Gulf Coast destinations including Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa and St. Petersburg. Depending on the vessel, weather and destination, deliveries may use the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), offshore Atlantic routes, Gulf Coast waterways or a combination of routes. Atlantic Yacht Delivery handles both northbound and southbound vessel relocations, connecting Florida with Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic, New York and New England.
Florida Ports, Waterways & Destinations
Atlantic Coast
Delivery routes along Florida’s Atlantic Coast may include Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Jupiter, and Palm Beach. Depending on the vessel, weather and destination, routing may follow the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), offshore Atlantic passages, or a combination of both. Inlet conditions, vessel draft, bridge openings, fuel range, marina availability, tides and seasonal weather are considered throughout the trip.
South Florida & Florida Keys
South Florida yacht deliveries may include Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Biscayne Bay, Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West. Routes through this region can involve heavily traveled ICW sections, ocean inlets, Biscayne Bay and the protected waters of the Florida Keys, with offshore options used when conditions and vessel capabilities permit. Dockage, vessel draft, bridge clearances, fuel stops, current and weather windows are factored into planning.
Gulf Coast
Florida Gulf Coast deliveries may include Marco Island, Naples, Fort Myers, Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Depending on the origin and destination, some vessels may travel through Lake Okeechobee, Gulf Intracoastal waterways, protected bays and sounds, or offshore Gulf routes. Draft, tides, bridge clearances, fuel range, marina availability and changing coastal weather are considered when planning Gulf Coast relocations.
Florida Yacht Delivery Route Planning
Every Florida yacht delivery is planned around the vessel, weather, tides, currents, fuel range, draft and the safest practical route. Depending on the origin and destination, routing may involve the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, offshore Atlantic passages, Biscayne Bay, the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee, Gulf Intracoastal waterways or offshore Gulf routes. Particular attention is given to inlet conditions, shoaling, bridge clearances and openings, lock schedules, tidal range, marina and fuel availability, daylight and seasonal weather. Northbound and southbound routes are adjusted as conditions develop, whether the vessel is moving within Florida or continuing along the East Coast toward Georgia, the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic, New York and New England.
Owner Support, Vessel Preparation & Delivery Logistics
Before departure, Atlantic Yacht Delivery works with the owner to review vessel readiness, fuel range, navigation electronics, safety equipment, dockage, crew requirements and pickup and delivery logistics. Florida deliveries may also require planning around vessel draft, shallow ICW sections, inlet conditions, bridge schedules, locks, marina availability, fuel stops, tides, currents and rapidly changing coastal weather. Clear communication before and during the trip helps keep the delivery organized while allowing the route and schedule to adjust to conditions and the needs of the vessel.
Recent Florida Yacht Deliveries
43' Egg Harbor Sportfisherman — Jupiter/Hobe Sound, FL → Lake Champlain, VT
This northbound delivery began in the Jupiter and Hobe Sound area of South Florida aboard a 43-foot Egg Harbor sportfisherman powered by twin Caterpillar C12 diesels. With the boat capable of cruising in the upper-20-knot range, the original plan was to take advantage of offshore conditions and make substantial progress north each day.
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As with any long-distance Florida yacht delivery, however, the weather ultimately dictated the route.
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The passage initially worked north along the Florida Atlantic coast, with routing through and offshore of areas including Fort Pierce, Cape Canaveral, Jacksonville and Fernandina Beach before continuing toward Georgia and South Carolina.
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An offshore forecast that initially appeared manageable deteriorated significantly. Seas that had been expected to remain in the 3- to 4-foot range built into 6- to 8-foot conditions, with periods approaching 8 to 10 feet. Rather than continue forcing the boat through an increasingly uncomfortable and unnecessary offshore run, Capt. Tom altered the plan and brought the Egg Harbor into Charleston, South Carolina.
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From Charleston, the delivery continued north using a combination of protected and offshore routes as conditions allowed. The passage included Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, the Cape Fear and Southport area, Wrightsville Beach, Morehead City and Beaufort, before continuing through the North Carolina waterways toward Coinjock.
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Farther north, the route passed through the Virginia ICW, Norfolk and Hampton Roads before continuing toward the Chesapeake and Delmarva region. Stops and route decisions were made according to weather, fuel range, daylight and the conditions expected for the next leg.
The trip eventually continued north through the Mid-Atlantic toward Ocean City, Maryland, the New Jersey coast and New York Harbor, then into the Hudson River for the long inland run toward upstate New York and ultimately Lake Champlain, Vermont.
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What had initially looked like a relatively straightforward high-speed northbound delivery became a five-day exercise in weather routing and passage management.
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This delivery demonstrates why even a capable offshore sportfishing yacht cannot be run according to a rigid schedule. Florida yacht delivery, offshore Atlantic navigation, changing sea state, inlet selection, ICW routing, fuel planning and weather-window decisions all became part of getting the vessel safely from South Florida to her northern destination.
46' Valhalla — Atlantic City, NJ → Riviera Beach, FL
This southbound delivery moved a 46-foot Valhalla from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Riviera Beach, Florida, in approximately four days. Powered by quad Mercury V10 Verado outboards, the Valhalla had the speed and range to cover substantial distances each day, but completing a long East Coast yacht delivery efficiently still depended on weather, sea conditions, fuel planning and choosing the right combination of offshore and protected-water routes.
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We departed Atlantic City and headed south along the New Jersey and Delmarva coasts toward the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads.
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From the Norfolk area, the route transitioned into the protected waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, continuing through the Elizabeth River, Great Bridge and Great Bridge Lock before heading south toward Coinjock, North Carolina.
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The North Carolina portion of the passage continued through Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River, Pungo River and Neuse River system, eventually bringing us into the Morehead City and Beaufort area.
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At Beaufort Inlet, conditions allowed us to transition back to the Atlantic for a faster offshore run south. We continued along the North Carolina coast and offshore of Cape Fear and Frying Pan Shoals, taking advantage of the Valhalla's speed when sea state and weather permitted.
Like any offshore yacht delivery, however, speed alone does not determine the route. During portions of the passage, 4- to 6-foot seas made protected-water routing the more practical choice. When conditions improved, we moved back outside and resumed the faster Atlantic route.
Continuing south, the trip carried us along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts toward the Savannah and Tybee Roads area, where we stopped for fuel before continuing toward Fernandina Beach and the St. Marys entrance at the Georgia-Florida border.
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Once in Florida, the Valhalla continued south along the Atlantic coast past Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral, making substantial mileage whenever weather and sea conditions allowed.
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The final leg brought us down Florida's Atlantic coast toward Lake Worth Inlet, where we entered for the approach to Riviera Beach and the Palm Beach area.
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Completing the Atlantic City-to-Riviera Beach delivery in roughly four days demonstrated what can be accomplished with a capable high-performance yacht, favorable weather windows and carefully planned fuel and overnight stops. It does not mean every New Jersey-to-Florida delivery can or should be completed on the same schedule. Vessel speed, fuel capacity, offshore conditions, daylight, inlet conditions and weather all determine the realistic passage plan.
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This delivery combined the Jersey Shore, Delmarva coast, Chesapeake Bay approaches, Norfolk, Great Bridge, Coinjock, Albemarle Sound, the North Carolina ICW, Beaufort Inlet, Cape Fear, Frying Pan Shoals, Savannah, Fernandina Beach, Cape Canaveral, the Florida Atlantic coast and Lake Worth Inlet in a four-day southbound yacht delivery to Riviera Beach.
50' Cruisers Yachts Cantius — Navesink Marina, NJ ↔ Boca Raton, FL
Atlantic Yacht Delivery has moved this 50-foot Cruisers Yachts Cantius between Navesink Marina in Sea Bright, New Jersey, and Boca Raton, Florida, on multiple seasonal northbound and southbound passages.
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These recurring snowbird yacht deliveries typically took approximately five to six days, depending on the time of year, weather window, sea conditions, daylight, fuel stops and whether the best route favored offshore Atlantic running or portions of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.
Like many Northeast boat owners, the owner moved the Cantius south to Florida for the winter season and north again when warmer weather returned. Rather than treating every New Jersey-to-Florida passage as the same trip, Capt. Tom planned each seasonal relocation around the conditions expected during that particular delivery.
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From Navesink Marina, the Cantius is only a short distance from Sandy Hook and the Atlantic Ocean. Southbound passages have included offshore runs down the Jersey Shore, while Cape May and Ocean City, Maryland, have served as practical fuel or overnight stops when weather, daylight or sea conditions dictated shorter legs.
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Different passages have required different approaches farther south. We have used Rudee Inlet at Virginia Beach on some trips, while others have continued toward Hampton Roads and Norfolk before entering the protected ICW through the Elizabeth River, Great Bridge and Great Bridge Lock.
From Virginia, one familiar inside route continues south toward Coinjock, North Carolina, followed by Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River, Pungo River and Pamlico waterways.
But that has never been the only option.
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Depending on weather and sea state, passages have also included Pamlico Sound and Oregon Inlet, allowing the Cantius to transition between protected inland waters and the Atlantic when conditions made that routing advantageous.
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Farther south, the yacht has passed through the Beaufort and Morehead City area, where decisions about remaining on the ICW or heading offshore are again based on weather, sea state and the expected conditions farther down the coast.
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Along southeastern North Carolina, we have used Masonboro Inlet at Wrightsville Beach, traveled through the waterways around Cape Fear, and run the Cape Fear River and Southport area.
Some passages have continued inside through Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, South Carolina, while favorable weather windows have allowed longer offshore runs toward Charleston.
South of Charleston, routes have again varied. Offshore passages have taken the Cantius toward Brunswick, Georgia, while other trips have used portions of the winding South Carolina and Georgia Intracoastal Waterway through the Lowcountry.
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From the Brunswick and St. Simons area, favorable conditions can allow a long Atlantic run south along Florida's East Coast. At other times, shorter offshore legs or protected-water routing make more sense.
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One particularly memorable southbound passage included a stop at Port Canaveral during a scheduled space launch. Approaching Cape Canaveral from offshore required remaining clear of the established marine safety and restricted area associated with the launch. From offshore, we were able to watch the rocket launch before continuing the delivery south.
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The final Florida portion of these seasonal passages has used a combination of Atlantic and protected-water routes before reaching Boca Raton.
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Northbound spring deliveries require the same flexibility in reverse. A route that works perfectly heading south in one season may be completely inappropriate several months later because of changing weather, sea state or inlet conditions.
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Over multiple five- to six-day seasonal snowbird deliveries, this Cantius has traveled through or offshore of Sandy Hook, the Jersey Shore, Cape May, Ocean City, Virginia Beach, Rudee Inlet, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Great Bridge, Coinjock, Albemarle Sound, the Alligator and Pungo rivers, Pamlico Sound, Oregon Inlet, Beaufort, Morehead City, Masonboro Inlet, Wrightsville Beach, Cape Fear, Southport, Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, Charleston, Brunswick, St. Simons, Port Canaveral and the Florida East Coast to Boca Raton.
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These repeated northbound and southbound passages are a good example of seasonal snowbird yacht relocation between the Northeast and South Florida. The goal is not to force the same route every season. It is to evaluate the vessel, weather window, offshore sea state, inlet conditions, fuel range, currents, daylight and available overnight stops and then choose the safest and most efficient route for that particular trip.
Planning a Florida Yacht Delivery?
Whether you are relocating a vessel seasonally, moving a recent purchase, repositioning a yacht between Florida marinas or planning a longer East Coast delivery, Atlantic Yacht Delivery can coordinate the trip around the vessel, route, weather, tides, currents, fuel range, draft and owner needs. Deliveries can run northbound or southbound throughout Florida, with connections to Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic, New York and New England.